Before Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III had their names called at this years' NFL Draft, both players were daunted as super heroes. Two players that would come into the league and have instant results, automatically propelling their team into contention.
While the talents of these players are unquestioned and the potential to their stardom at this point is limitless, it was nice to get a breath of reality into all the buzz that has surrounded the two players with their Preseason week 2 performances.
Luck who faced the Steelers in last night's game threw two interceptions early on including one that was returned for a touchdown to show that he does have the ability to make mistakes.
He also showed that he has a mental toughness that is rare for such a young quarterback when he helped bring his team back from a 14 point deficit to take the lead before exiting the game.
A day earlier, Griffin was seen running for his life against a Bears defense which led to a few learning situations. One was the hold on to the ball with two hands when being forced to scramble. After avoiding a sack, Griffin stepped up in the pocket and began to run when the ball was batted away from a defender behind him leading to a turnover and a quick touchdown for the Bears offense.
Griffin also quickly realized there are times to just throw the ball away and also to use the sideline as a friend rather than batter himself against defenders twice his size. The quarterback did manage to come back and complete a few good passes before his departure which also showed the resiliency of a veteran, not a first year player.
There is no doubt in my mind that these two players will resurrect their teams in the coming years and that their leadership will help their respective teams jump to the next level but it's good to see that noone is exempt from making mistakes.
Most mature individuals and those that are around sports know that to be the case but there are many casual fans that think a player with the calibur of play of these two will come in and do no wrong.
The commentator for Chicago that suggested there was a quarterback controversy after another rookie Redskins quarterback, Kirk Cousins came into the game and played so well following Griffin is just another spark to these casual fans fire.
Controversy? Really? I can't believe that would even be suggested after only two preseason games. No disrespect to Cousins at all but the Redskins didn't give up several draft picks and as some would say "mortgage their future" to bench Griffin even before the regular season started.
Point being, Luck and Griffin will play this year. They will play well at times and they will make mistakes at times. From what I have witnessed so far, the good plays will most likely outweigh the bad. It is how they learn from those mistakes and grow and develop that will separate them from the average player. The maturity that each displays already will contribute to their success and while we may not see them in the postseason this year, I am sure that each will be leading their teams to conference championships in no time at all.
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